Massage apparatus



July 13, 1965 A. CARACCIOLO MASSAGE APPARATUS Filed Feb. 13, 1963 FIG. 6

FIG. 5

INVENTOR. ANTHONY CARAC C IOLO JV. W

ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,194,231 Patented July 13, 1955 3,194,231 MASSAGE APPARATUS Anthony Caracciolo, 108 Finley Ava, Trenton, NJ. Filed Feb. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 258,336 1 Claim. (Cl. 128-41) The present application is a continuation in part of the applicants pending application filed July 11, 1962, Serial No. 209,148 for an Abrader and now Patent No. 3,169,- 536.

My invention relates generally to massage apparatus, and particularly to an apparatus intended for massaging the human epidermis and conditioning it.

It is an object of my invention to provide a massage apparatus for the human epidermis for investing it with unguents, lotions and medicaments.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a massage apparatus which will stimulate circulation of the blood through blood vessels adjacent to the surface of .the human epidermis, restore muscular tone to overcome sagging contours.

It is another object of my invention to provide a massage apparatus which will stimulate a normal healthy condition of the human epidermis, will tend to cause the peripheral glands and ducts to remain in a good state of health and to discharge their normal functions.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a massage apparatus which will provide a sensation of exhilaration at areas of the human epidermis to which it is applied and will cause a gentle undulation or manipulation of the epidermis in those areas, without violent, harmful, vigorous, or traumatic contact.

These objects and advantages as well as other objects and advantages may be attained by the device shown by way of illustration in the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical elevational inside view of one of a pair of shells which, when assembled together, form a housing for the massage device;

FIGURE 2 is a view of a shell complementary to the shell shown in FIGURE 1 with the electromagnet and armature mounted therein;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of a cap cooperatively engageable by the pair of shells, and constituting a closure for the top of the housing;

FIGURE 4 is atop plan view of the cap;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of a massage disc, partially sectioned, for applying massage to the human epidermis, and;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of the assemblage.

The human epidermis is a complex tissue containing numerous pores, glands, and ducts. It serves as a barrier to microbiological life that may impair and destroy the human body. It is recognized that the health of the epidermis contributes largely to the health of the human body. The application of gentle, rhythmic, rapid pressure to the epidermis is recognized as stimulating the excretory function of the glands and pores, the scaling off of epithelial debris, the encouragement of circulation to the minute veins and arteries that lie close to the skin and enables the application of cosmetics and cleansing agents that improve the esthetic appearance of the epidermis. A small, relatively flat, rapidly vibrating disc has been found to provide gentle massage, has been found to be easily controlled and directed, and has been found further to enable the application of various materials that benefit the epidermis and condition it. A massage apparatus for this purpose is shown by way of illustration herein.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a pair of complementary shells 11, 12 are shown in FIGURES l and 2 and brought together in assembled relationship in FIGURE 3.

The shell 11 is provided with four apertures 13, 13, etc.

in which bolts may be inserted to secure the shell 11 to the complementary shell 12. The shell 12 has four cooperative threaded tubul-ar enlargements 14, 14, etc. by which the one shell 11 can be bolted to the other shell 12. The bottom of the shells, 11, 12 are provided with a semicircular opening in which a cord guide 15 can be seated. A cord 16 can be entered through the cord guide 15 into the housing formed by the shells 11, 12. Mounted in the housing is an electromagnet 17. A resilient, deflectable armature 18 is mounted on a bracket 19 so that the arm-ature will be responsive to the electromagnetic lines of force originating in the magnet 17. This deflectable armature has a top L-shaped portion 20 which extends transversely in the shells 11, 12 near the top 23. The bent over portion 20 is provided with a rigidly attached stem 21. This stem extends in a generally vertical direction and the end 35 thereof is bent so that it extends transversely out through the housing 22. The housing is enclosed at its upper end by a cap 23. The shells 11, 12 have inwardly extending walls 24 near their top edges 25. These walls 24, 24 do not meet but have a gap permitting the protrusion of the stem from out of the housing. The upstanding portions 25 of the shells 11, 12 above the walls 24, 24 are provided with a small domed enlargement 26. This enlargement engages an aperture 27 in the cap 23 when the shells 11, 12 are assembled together with the cap between the portions 25, 25. The cap 23 is provided with a transverse slot 28. The walls 24 on each of the shells 11, 12 have an upstanding rib 29 that enters the slot 28 in the cap 23. Thus, when the shells 11, 12 are bolted together, the cap 23 is firmly secured in place. The cap 23 is provided with a generally circular, angularly disposed, top-slot 30 located at one side of the cap 23, through which the bent over portion 35 of the stem 21 extends.

Mounted on the stem is a disc 31. The disc 31 has a socket enlargement 32 having an interior bore 33. The bore 33 is press fitted onto the bent over portion 35 of the stem 21.

Since the armature 18 is magnetically deflectable with respect to the magnet 17, when the magnet is energized by an alternating current, the armature 18 will oscillate at a high rate of speed and the disc 31 will be caused to describe an axial reciprocating movement. When the disc 31 is applied to the human epidermis while it is thus reciprocating, it will provide a gentle massage or patting movement since its movement is generally coaxial with the bent over portion 35 of the stem 21. The massage of the epidermis by the gentle reciprocation of the head is calculated to stimulate circulation. Medicaments supplied to the epidermis will be mass-aged into the skin and curative unguents will be applied in such a manner that they can perform their curative ofiice in the most beneficial manner. The housing 22 is generally ovoid so that it is convenient to hold in the hand in order to apply the disc 31 to the epidermis. The manipulation of the device is simple; it painlessly and rapidly accomplishes its object of massaging the epidermis without abrasion to the surface thereof.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described. They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially similar function; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes for the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention; these substitutes are contemplated as being within the scope of the appended claim, although they are not specifically catalogued herein.

What is claimed:

A massage apparatus comprising:

(a) a generally ovoid hollow housing with an aperture at one end, said housing being formed from a pairjof V in the cap extending, generally parallel to the offset complementary Shells jointed together; portionoft-he stern; (b) an electromagnet mounted in the housing; r (-g) adisc; V V i, V h (-c) a magnetic-aily deflect abie armature mounted in: (h) a soeket enlargementonthefdiseattached 't the';

the housing :in cooperative relationwith the'rnagnet; 5 end of-the offset portion :of the stem (d) an apertured cepett aeheqrto the housing intne Rferemes'jcilted'byltheiExamjner aperture, the cap. 1n the; housing being providedwith V V V V cooperating portionsjfor holding the cap to the hous- V v UNITED STA A NT ing, and the aperture in the cap-being a transverse 2,319,205* 5/43 Buck? i- 128E+41 slot therein dimensioned to pass a stem; 10 3 030,967 4/62 ,P e v (e) astern attached to the armature; V (f)' an offset, axially movable portion on the end of 7 7 #fAI- the stemexten-ding through the apertured cap, the 181584455, f f rjy ofl'set' portion being oriented at-approximately 45 71,137,206 7 1/57, Fmncc' to the portion attached torthe armature, the aperture 7 1 5 RECHARDlAL G'AiJDELJPriihmky Examiner; 

